A World We Dare to Imagine Post 3

The State Development Institute (TSDI) is a think tank dedicated to formulating strategies for state and institutional development in foreign countries. State instability is a result of underdeveloped political structures and institutions and can lead to widespread poverty, underdeveloped healthcare and social programs that benefit the population, weak or corrupt judicial system, and overall state underperformance. In order to address state instability, The State Development Institute, its researches, strategists, and representatives, will work with political representatives from foreign countries to create a strategy for institution and system development that works best for the country based on its resources and needs. Once a strategy has been formulated between TSDI and the designated country, TSDI will help implement of the strategy and oversee its development to make sure it is working. TSDI will also train representatives from the country to organize and manage the new institutions and systems to provide them with the skills to manage their new state institutions.

I am passionate about the work The State Development Institute will do because by directly addressing the root cause of state instability, we will try to eliminate, or at least mitigate, social problems affecting the state’s population. To address poverty, inadequate healthcare, judicial and social systems, a direct government response is needed. However, many developing countries lack proper political systems, and therefore a lack of other systems and institutions needed for state development. TSDI will work with countries to try and create a better state that will improve the living standards of its citizens and will allow them to pursue opportunities needed to improve their lives. Out hope is to make the world a better place where all humans have access to basic needs, have freedom to pursue opportunities, and enjoy a happy life.

The State Development Institute is unique because it provides a direct and custom approach for state development. Most state development assistance for the United States, tries to impose western methods for development, however, these methods might not fit with the country’s resources and capabilities and can make the country worse off than it was before receiving assistance. TSDI will formulate custom development strategies along with representatives from the state receiving the assistance. It will also conduct research to find out what the state population needs because sometimes political officials might not know what it is their citizens need and want.

The State Development Institute will strive to create better states equipped with organized and effective systems and institutions that will be able to address the problems facing their populations.  Our goal is to improve the lives of people around the world by improving living standards. We strive to create a better world with more international cooperation and peace. In pursuing our mission, we hope to gain Anima Mundi Development Partners’ support. Anima Mundi Development Partners’ and TSDI have the same objectives of improving peoples’ living standards, enabling global cooperation, and creating a better environment for all to live in. We believe that a partnership between us will further our goal and inspire local and global cooperation to further world improvement.  

A World We Dare to Imagine Post 1

People coming together to solve problems that afflict the citizens of the world, and the world itself, is the first step in creating a world in which all humans are equal. However, people must first become aware of the problems the world is facing because it is easy to forget when some people live in privileged positions. Therefore, I think educating the public must be prioritized in the North (developed countries) and the South (developing countries) to educate people all over the world of the problems people are facing and how people can come together to solve them.

Even though I believe education is important, the most important feat is restructuring and creating political institutions that allow for change to happen. Failed states that cannot provide, or are not willing to provide, basic services to their citizens create problems within domestic barriers but also in the international system. People listen to leaders because they expect them to lead the country to prosperity, or at least fix some of the problems that afflict citizens every day. However, there are cases in which states do not have the proper institutions to create and implement new political policies to help their citizens. Even allowing charities/organization to work in some states require political approval but if the political institution of the state is not well organized it can take months, even years, to get approval from political leaders. Healthcare, taxes, access to financial resources and other services that citizens need also require the administrative structures of political institutions. Sates that have proper political structures can then help other states create their own. This is why my first step in making the world a better place, would be to become an Ambassador for the U.S., or of an international organization like the United Nations, and work with political leaders to help them develop the proper political structures needed to meet the needs of their citizens. It would not be just me doing this, because I alone cannot change the world, but many other people who want to see change would do this too. This would require conniving leaders to accept help, but I hope that they would be willing to accept it to better their states and the lives of their citizens.

Through better political institutions, I also think environmental protection policies can be more easily implemented. Having a world that is clean and strong is needed to continuously provide an environment that supports human and animal life.

Nevertheless, I think establishing efficient political structures is needed to carry out change. I think that with this, collaboration from people all over the world to solve the problems the world faces will ensue once people see the results. 

The Blue Sweater Post 2

Reading The Blue Sweater was heartwarming and encouraging. Following Jacqueline Novogratz’s personal journey of alleviating poverty was a great first-hand look into the lives of those affected by poverty and the solutions that work best for them. At the beginning of Jacqueline’s journey, she envisioned that she alone would be able to change the world, or at least make a significant contribution. However, as she met both women and men who were affected by poverty, learned from their personal journeys and saw the capabilities of humans to do both good and bad, she realized that changing the world would take more than just one woman.

As I was reading this book, I admired Jacqueline’s perseverance in trying to better the lives of the people in Africa.  She faced much opposition from those she tried to help in the beginning and went through many personal challenges but she continued to help. At the end of the book she also makes a point that changing the world requires more than one source of leadership, and contribution from every human to make it happen. I thought this was the most important point in setting the stage for change. Humans are not autonomous and require the assistance of other humans to survive. I believe that a world in which cooperation and assistance are prioritized, lives can be changed for the better. I am happy that I was able to read this book, because it put things in perspective for me again by making me realize that cooperation is important and needed to alleviate poverty, environmental degradation and all other challenges human beings face. I was able to perceive from reading The Blue Sweater, that that the world was built by all and so it must be maintained by all and I think this is an important lesson. 

The Blue Sweater

The Blue Sweater: Chapters 1-8
The Blue Sweater is  Jacqueline Novogratz's, founder of the Acumen Fund,  personal story of how she wanted to change the world. The first half of the book covers her experiences starting from post-grad life trying to find a job to working with the Rockefeller foundation and creating philanthropist workshops to educate them on the best ways of handling problems.

Jacqueline's journey began with her job as an international banker at Chase Manhattan Bank. When she visited Brazil she realized that there was extreme poverty and suggested that Chase should create loans for the poor to enable them to start projects. When her proposition was rejected she moved on the African Development Bank in which she worked  as a ambassador for women. Jacqueline moves on from this job to others that allow her to work with women to empower them and give them tools and knowledge to become self-sufficient. By the end of the first half of the book , Jacqueline returns home to get her MBA from the Stanford School of Business and ends up meeting Professor Emeritus John Gardner who becomes her mentor and encourages her to take a fellowship with the Rockefeller Foundation.

I admire Jacqueline's persistence throughout her journey so far because addressing poverty and the income distribution gap are perhaps the most difficult tasks to take on. Micro finance institutions, like the one she tried setting up in Rwanda, are usually used in developing countries to provide the poor with small, low-interest loans but few models have been successful in their business models. Jacqueline is trying to solve this problem, as well as address others, by incorporating a bottom up approach (citizen based) to design micro finance models that will benefit the citizens as well as the banks. As she tries to create better development programs for the poor, she also learns from her failures what doesn't work to continually readjust her models. She also perseveres even when faced by blatant disdain from the women she is trying to help. The women were resistant to the idea of accepting help from her because they perceive her help as a Western intrusion. To address this problem, Jacqueline finds that it is important to listen to the local women and their needs to build assistance programs that help them and are not dominated entirely by Western models of growth. She puts in so much effort to try and make the lives of the world's poor better and is trying to truly change the world, even if it is one step at a time.

Lately, I have been thinking about my upcoming graduation. At the same time, I am also avoiding thinking about it because I have no idea what I am going to do after I graduate. I am so scared that I think I might even add a minor just so I can stay in school longer. I think I was very comfortable with the time I had to decide what I wanted to do after graduation that I kept putting actually after university planning aside. But now the time has come and I have a short amount of time to decide everything. Time really is fleeting and even this semester feels like it just started and we are almost done. At the moment, I am going with the flow and I hope that this strategy works out. I have learned to be accepting of what life throws my way and try to make things work out for the better.  I also believe that everything will eventually work itself out.

In times of uncertainty, like these, I often think of one of my heroes, Oprah Winfrey. Oprah had a rough start, but eventually she was able to successfully build an empire through all of her hard work, setting an example that anything is really possible, even if you don’t get the best start. Maybe I’ll decide to go to graduate school or even travel for a bit until I decide what to do next, but things have a way of happening that makes the journey worthwhile.  Even though things seem scary now, I am excited for things to come. 

Growing a Farmer Reflection

Growing a Farmer Reflection

My first impression of Growing a Farmer, was that it was going to be a book about how a small farm came to be a large profitable, perhaps even commercial, farm. To my surprise, I was very mistaken. It was a story about how a city dweller evolved in to a farmer through his journey of starting a small farm in hopes of creating self-sufficiency. The author, Kurt Timmermeister, never expected to yield huge returns. He just wanted to reconnect with his food. The second half of the book goes into detail of ambitious production methods, such as, meat production and consumer involvement. These chapters go into full detail about the slaughter and butchering of the farm animals and his attitudes toward it. For example, he mentions how he thinks children should be present at animal slaughters so they can learn where their food comes from and to normalize the killing of the animal.  However, I accidentally walked in on a pig slaughter once and never ate pork, so I don’t think that was a very normalizing experience for me. The last two chapters are a reflection of Kurtwood Farms’ present state and how the farm managers to stay afloat. The farm is able to make a profit from selling artisan cheeses and hosting weekly dinners for guests who pay for the fresh-off-the farm food experience with almost all ingredients coming from the farm. In these last few chapters, I also was really able to see Kurt’s vision for his farm as being as self-sufficient as possible. He has worked hard in order for the components of his farm to work together to produce a better farm as a whole and to connect with his food. He also worked hard to create a family that sat down for evening dinners and through his farm and he was able to create one. The people who helped build Kurtwood Farms, his friends, and his guests all became part of the family he wanted to share his farm with.

After finishing Growing a Farmer, I have to say that I gained more respect for the author. Each chapter describes not only his evolution as a better farmer but also his perseverance as he faced troubles with his farm. However, each tribulation not only made him a better farmer, but also connected him to his farm and nature. It took him years to finally come up with a production model that suited his farm. Unlike Kurt, I would have given up pretty early on in the process. I also admire his goal of becoming more connected to his food. I am fortunate that I do not have to farm for my food every day, but sometimes I think that would be nice to eat something I produced.  This book reflects the author’s journey, his ups and downs, and is another example that with perseverance, goals can be accomplished. 

Boom Pow Vegan Now

Explaining veganism and the vegan diet

By: Neyra Reeves     September 28, 2016

If you have ever met a person that is vegan you have probably asked them a few questions and expressed comments like, “What do you eat?” “how are you still alive right now?” “where do you get your protein from,” “why are you vegan?” and my favorite one, “Wow, you don’t look pale at all.”

If you, or someone you know, have asked these questions, it’s okay, because until recently, veganism has just started to become a “hot topic,” so to speak. Therefore, vegans can’t be mad at you for not knowing all the answers. Baby steps right? 

My personal journey into veganism all started when I was eleven or twelve years old with a specific life changing moment. I was in the cafeteria one afternoon eating lunch with my friends—one of them was vegetarian— and as I was three bites into my bologna sandwich, my vegetarian friend asks me if I knew what bologna was made of. Of course, I didn’t know, so I told her no and then she, unknowing changing my life, went on to explain that bologna is made of a blend of animal trimmings, meaning the extras (The Huffington Post). I don’t know why this new information changed my view of meat—maybe I was grossed out at the fact of eating animal extras—but I went home that day and told my mom that I never wanted to eat meat again.

I have been a vegan for almost half of my lifetime now, and I want to spread awareness of veganism. The purpose of this post is to demystify veganism by exploring what it is to give you a little bit of the basics of being vegan.  First we are going to talk about what it means to be vegan, then move on to a little diet basics to understand exactly what vegans eat, and lastly, address a few misconceptions about the diet. By the end of this article you’ll be an expert on veganism. 

What does it even mean to be vegan?

Being vegan means that a person does not eat any animal products (or byproducts), such as, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, animal milks, honey (Hood). A vegan lifestyle is a bit more intense version of veganism and requires abstaining from any animal manufactured products. There is also the raw vegan diet that excludes all animal and processed food products. But, for the purpose of this article we will be focusing on the standard vegan diet.

There are many reasons people choose vegan diets or lifestyles. These reasons include: love for animals and hate of animal cruelty, environmental consciousness, health issues, allergy constraints, religion, or maybe someone just really likes vegan food because it’s delicious and makes them feel awesome after they eat. Whatever the reason, veganism is for anyone and is pretty easy to maintain.

Common Misconceptions about Veganism

You may be wondering, or have in the past, “well, what do vegans even eat?” We eat everything—everything except animal products of course. If anyone has ever told you that vegan food I boring, they’re liars. Okay, that was a bit harsh, but they probably generalized from one not-so-great vegan eating experience. I have to say this is probably the worst allegation against vegan food because it turns people off to the idea of adopting vegan diets. If people have this perception of vegan diets they think, or they hear, that all we eat is bland vegetables all time. They probably imagine a sad plate of uncooked, or steamed veggies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I am here to tell you that vegan food is extremely creative and delicious. Vegans have to get creative to be able to eat pizza, burgers, desserts, and most importantly cake. Thanks to the recent vegan popularity, there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of vegan blogs, cooking videos and recipes, available on the internet and social media. These recipes combine the deliciousness of vegetables, fruits, and a variety of other ingredients to create amazingly delicious food, such as, “chicken nuggets” and cake. Who said you can’t have your cake and eat it too? Well, now you can because it’s healthy. 

Chicken Nuggets From Laura Millers’ Raw Vegan Not Gross Website

https://imlauramiller.com/not-chicken-nuggets/

Raw Vegan Not Gross

https://imlauramiller.com/video/birthday-cake/

Another misconception is that vegans do not get the needed nutrients to maintain a healthy, functional body. Vegans eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and fortified foods that provide them with the nutrients they need to be healthy.  As we will see in the next section vegans get their nutrients from a variety of sources.

The Basic Components of the Vegan Diet

To answer what vegans eat, I will do a quick breakdown of the diet and the purposes of each food.  To give a basic model of the vegan diet we can use the vegan diet pyramid which is used to mirror the standard diet pyramid. There are several variations of the vegan diet pyramid but all contain more or less the same components most of which include the main five groups: protein, non-dairy alternatives, fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds, and oils. 

Image borrowed from VeganCoach.com  

• In the protein group we have legumes (beans, lentils, peas), seeds and nuts, and tofu and tempeh (Hood & Knutson & Venti & Johnston). Seeds and nuts also provide iron, zinc, and omega-3 which are all needed for proper body function (Johnston). Omega-3s are essential to brain development, nervous system function and cardiovascular health (Chandola & Tanna & Vukovic) and because humans can’t actually produce omega-3 it has to be consumed daily. So, if you haven’t gotten your omega-3s today do it now! Okay, after you finish reading.
• Non-dairy alternatives can include cashew milk, soymilk, rice milk, and almond milk. There are also other non-dairy product options such as yogurt, cheese, mayonnaise, margarine, nutritional yeasts, and ice creams. A diet is incomplete without ice cream so this is very important. Non-dairy alternatives provide a great source of vitamins B12 and D (Johnston & VeganHealth.org).
• The fruit and vegetable group are self-evident. However, there is an emphasis on “leafy greens,” like kale and spinach, as they are said to contain many minerals and antioxidant vitamins (Knutson) (Ranaweera & Gunathilake), which contribute to brain performance. Eat kale go to Yale!
• Grains are a great source of complex carbs and protein which give you enery. Whole grains, such as, barley, oats, and quinoa, rice, pasta, and cereals (Knutson) are all great options and will definitely fill anyone up. 
• Oils are needed in every diet. For the vegan diet, coconut oil, olive oil, and soybean oil are the most popular sources of good fat. Thank goodness for good fat.

·         

     Benefits of a Vegan Diet

The great thing about vegan diets is that it’s not just a recent trend but it’s really good for you. Research shows that people who are vegan are healthy and often times healthier than people who eat meat (Hood). Vegan diets have been proved to reduce risks of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, reduces body mass index, and cardiovascular diseases (Stein & Venti & Johnston). A vegan diet also helps you feel good about yourself because you never feel groggy or sluggish after eating a meal.

Adopting a vegan diet is for everyone!  Even if you’re not completely sold on making your own raw vegan cashew butter, or wearing sustainable clothing, you can still try the healthy and super delicious vegan food. I hope that this post shed some light on the somewhat mysterious nature of veganism. By now, you are an expert on veganism. Now, next time when you meet a vegan at CrossFit, you can share your new found knowledge and trade some recipes. 

References

Hood, S., B. Sc (Hons). (2008). The vegan diet. Practice Nurse, 35(3), 13-14,16-17. Retrieved from http://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.libproxy3.usc.edu/docview/230431001?accountid=14749

Knutson, P. (2016). Let’s Uncover the Truth Behind the Vegan Food Pyramid. Retrieved from

http://www.vegancoach.com/vegan-food-pyramid.html

Ranaweera, K.K.D.S. & Gunathilake, K.D.P.P. (2016). Antioxidative properties of 34 green leafy vegetables. Journal of Functional Foods, vol 26, pp. 176-186. Retrieved from

http://dx.doi.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/10.1016/j.jff.2016.07.015   

Stein, J. (2012). Vegan diet benefits type 2 diabetics. Renal & Urology News, 11(9), 37. Retrieved from http://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.libproxy3.usc.edu/docview/1312429084?accountid=14749

Tanna, I. & Chandola, H.M. (2014). Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Brain and Neurological Health. 163-179. Retrieved from

http://dx.doi.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/10.1016/B978-0-12-410527-0.00014-4

The Huffington Post. (2013). What the Heck Is in Bologna, Anyway? Retrieved from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/national-bologna-day-what-is-in_n_4151151.html

Venti, C. A., & Johnston, C. S. (2002). Modified food guide pyramid for lactovegetarians and vegans. The Journal of Nutrition, 132(5), 1050-4. Retrieved from http://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.libproxy3.usc.edu/docview/197431403?accountid=14749

Vukovic, D. (2013). 14 Best Vegan Sources of Omega 3. Retrieved from

http://plenteousveg.com/vegan-sources-omega-3/

Growing a Farmer is the story about Kurt Timmermeister and how he started his own farm and became a farmer. The book starts at the very conception of Kurt’s farm. The first chapter of the book begins with a twenty-four-year-old Kurt living in the bustling and growing city of Seattle. During this time Kurt opens a restaurant (actually a small café) near his downtown apartment, but once his café became profitable, Kurt decided he wanted to move to a larger space of land. After doing some research, he decided to move to Vashon Island a few miles from Seattle. When he first saw the property that would become Kurtwood Farms, it was nothing more than just four acres of un-cleared land and a small house resting near the driveway, a “chicken coop” he called it. However, Kurt was set on the property at first sight and with a lot of hard work and trial and error he was able to transform his small farm into a larger farm. Each chapter of the book addresses in great detail a step/venture in his process of becoming a real farmer. For example, he talks about how his first farming venture was growing vegetables to sell at local grocery stores and farmers’ markets. At the end of the year the crop yielded very little return so he had to adjust his business model. The rest of the chapters describe similar scenarios of him trying out different farming ventures to see what would best fit within Kurtwood Farms’ capability while along the way becoming a real, more experienced farmer.

I like Growing a Farmer because I think the author wrote it with a lot of heart trying to really explain how his farm grew and how he grew with it. He was passionate about his dream of becoming a farmer—he even sold his profitable restaurant to be one full time—and he worked very hard to do so and through all the ups and downs he always loved his farm. The affection for his farm was so much that when he was presented with the opportunity of buying a more profitable dairy farm he refused because it just didn’t feel like home. The affection the author had towards his farm allowed him to really find joy in the little things of farming like the filling of the bee boxes or having dirty jeans. Through the author’s personal journey, Growing a Farmer presents the theme of perseverance with the message to follow your dreams even if you may have had a rough start and made a lot of mistakes, because if you persevere you can do it. In the beginning, the author loved the idea of owning his farm and being a farmer, but he had no idea how to run a farm. Before moving, he didn’t even know he wanted to be a farmer. With the knowledge that he got from books, magazines, lectures, and anywhere he could get it from, he was able to learn how to become a real farmer. This unlikely story of how a city restaurateur was able to find his passion of becoming a farmer, gives hope that everyone too will one day find their thing, or things. 

Art Gallery Opening

I had a lot of fun going to the art gallery opening sponsored by Professor Hansen's friend, Mat Gleason. I had never been to a gallery opening so I didn't really know what to expect. When my friend and I finally found the Coagula Curatorial Gallery, we were very surprised with how open and relaxed the environment was which made the whole event more enjoyable. I noticed that the artist was taking pictures with people while she had a beer in her hand, which made her seem easy-going and inviting. Upon actually entering the gallery I was very surprised with the art that was on display. It was whimsical and almost childlike but very meaningful at the same time. It was also very colorful and I soon realized that it drawn with markers. I had never seen marker art before but I decided that I really liked it as I looked at the pieces. One of my favorite pieces is in the picture below and I like this piece because I thought it was very cool how the artists kind of overlapped the faces of the butterfly people/angles. The overlapping kind of reminded me of Two-Face from Batman and I interpreted the effect to be like the different sides of the butterfly people/angles. At the gallery, I was also able to see Mat Gleason and his hair was a very nice shade of royal blue which looked great. I have to say, that I enjoyed my first art gallery opening and seeing a different side of Chinatown that I didn't know existed.

Koalas!!

A koala is hands down the one of the coolest creatures in the animal kingdom. It is definitely my totem animal because we share several characteristics. We both love to sleep and eat greens. Koalas live in eastern Australia. They sleep for up to 18 hours in the branches of eucalyptus trees and spend the rest of the day eating, you guess it, eucalyptus leaves. Koalas can eat up to two and a half pounds of leaves a day, which is a lot considering their small size. Koalas are actually one of the few animals that can eat the poisonous eucalyptus leaves without any side effects. They actually have a "special digestive system," that allows them to break down the leaves properly. Yes, so both of us are pretty much invincible. Another interesting fact about these cute little animals, is that koalas are not bears! I know right, it's shocking. They are actually marsupials, meaning they are pouch animals. Koalas use their pouch to carry their babies (joeys) and snacks, which I can really relate to because I always have snacks in my backpack. What is really interesting about joeys, is that as soon as they are born they make their way to their mothers pouch right from the birth canal—a very impressive skill considering they are blind, naked, and have no ears. Joeys have to completely rely on small, touch, and complete instinct. My instincts are quite questionable, so kudos to the joeys! Joeys leave the pouch at about seven months but still hang out on their mothers backs and bellies until they are a year old. All in all, koalas are pretty cool because they have their own fanny pack, and sleep and eat the majority of their lives. What a dream! Well, that's my dream.